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The nature of identity in literature
Identity in literature
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The nature of identity in literature
Identity in literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In chapter 3 “The Other Wes Moore”by Wes Moore, the author states that his mother saw the school system getting poor. She decided to enroll the author in a private school. The author became friend with a boy named Justin they easily bonded because they were the only black kids in the school. Wes was displeased with the new school he was too poor for his classmates and too rich for the neighborhood kids. The author did not know where to fit.
This passage demonstrates the trouble that the author Wes Moore’s family and their friends go through to help send him to military school. Once Wes makes his first attempt at escaping from Valley Forge Military Academy he contacts his mother in an attempt to come home, she then divulged all the sacrifices she’d been making to send him there and steer his life in a better direction. From this, the author hopes to show that people who are supported throughout their lives have a greater chance of success in the future if they strive to reach goals that they set for themselves. The first two paragraphs of this passage show how determined Wes’ mother was to help him change his life.
Into the Wild “‘ He was unheeded, happy and near to wild heart of life. ’”Christopher McCandless, pseudonym Alexander Supertramp makes the daunting decision to go off grid and live a nomadic lifestyle. Author Jon Krakauer uses fervent diction and descriptive imagery to depict McCandless’s turning point in his life and beyond to his final days in the Alaskan wilderness. Krakauer choses a specific tone to narrate the story, not far from a hypercritical sense.
Have you ever experienced being alone for a long time? I am not talking about being separated from your parents in a grocery store, I am talking about being alone in the wilderness. The book I just read, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, has a main character who is the only soul who survived a plane crash and now he is stuck alone in the Canadian wilderness. There were two times that Brian had deep feelings that really stood out to me. I am now going to tell you about one of the time Brian had really deep feelings.
Christopher Johnson “Chris” McCandless wan an American hiker. He ventured into the Alaskan wilderness in April 1992, with little food and equipment, hoping to live simply for a time in solitude from the poison of civilization. In attempt to escape the discomfort cause by society and his family, Christopher McCandless sets off on a two-year trek across the country, where he changed himself into “Alex super-tramp.” “McCandless went into the wilderness not primarily to ponder nature or world at large but to explore the inner country of his own soul” (Krakauer182). Krakauer realizes that McCandless’s journey wan because of his desire to find happiness and enjoy life that way he felt life should be experienced.
In August 1992, a decomposed body, presumably died of starvation, was found inside an abandoned bus beside the Sushana River in Alaska. Shortly thereafter, the dead person was identified as twenty-four-year-old Chris McCandless, who was from an affluent family in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. A tragic story, with a mix of a young man, his well-off background, and happening in the most precarious but highly noble place, always had an emotional pull on people’s minds and stirred up people’s curiosity and perplexity. The question, often asked by the people with desire to grasp the truths, was why Chris with a privileged life would have gone to Alaska’s wilderness to face the ultimate challenge of his life. Was he in search of something
Society is a limitation, often preventing many from following their dreams or beliefs. Some may forsake these dreams and ideals and forget who they are in an attempt to conform. Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer narrates the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man from Virginia. McCandless hitchhiked to Alaska in 1992 to follow his beliefs and managed to live off the land for four months until he met his death in the wilderness. His story gained a lot of publicity and it has led to debates about his sanity and heroic qualities.
The words of many authors, poets, and songwriters can influence certain aspects of a person’s life. One may simply admire the work because of the inspiration or beauty behind the piece, but others take the words to heart and live their lives by it. A fan of many transcendentalism authors Chris McCandless wanted to live his life with the same simplicity they did. After finding the inspiration in the works of Jack London and Henry David Thoreau McCandless ventured out into a two-year-long journey to find happiness in the Alaskan Wilderness. McCandless had the bravery to follow his own dream and was willing to risk his life for true happiness.
When people isolate themselves from society they develop similar characteristics. In Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Christopher McCandless, the main character graduates as a top student and makes the choice to give away all his money to charity as well as leaving behind his belongings instead of pursuing a career. He then travels out to Alaska, journaling his experience in the wildness and changes his name to Alex. In the movie Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog uses footage shot by Timothy himself to document what inspired him to live with the wild bears in Alaska. One of the bears Treadwell takes care of tragically kills him; his footage gives a stronger look at nature and its harsh realities.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to live in the wild, and become a whole new person, or what it is like to live in the wild to find yourself? Well if you have then I recommend that you read the book titled ¨Into the wild¨ written by Jon Krakauer. In this book there is a man named Chris McCandless who left society and went into the wilderness of Alaska and cut off all contact with the outside world. He wanted to find himself, and become a better person. Some may believe that Chris went into the wild to escape a toxic relationship with his parents, but the real reason he left everything was he wanted to find himself, and he felt as if he could function without everyday things.
Being alone and being in solitude are very different things. In a story about people who seem to be both, Barbara Lazear Ascher shows how some people chose and enjoy their solitude, while others are left to fend for themselves alone. The author explains the difference between embracing loneliness and despising it through multiple characters who each chose to accept what society has given them or reflect on the life they have chosen. The Box Man enjoys searching for boxes and the boxes comfort him. The lady in the cafe repeat the same routine daily, without emotion.
“In a social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.” said Erik Erikson, a psychologist known for his theory on the psychosocial development of humans. Reef Kennedy is a trouble-making orphan who hangs out with his friends, Bigger and Jink, vandalizing buildings and getting in trouble with the law. A ruined childhood from losing his parents and grandparents puts Reef in a hopeless position that he will have to dig himself out of and find his true identity. |He tries to rebuild his life by helping other people, but realizes he was the center of the accident all along. In the novel First Stone by Don Aker, Reef shows how true identity affects the actions of a human being, proving it with character
Self-discovery is driven by the willingness of individuals to make connections with places and people. This is evident in Tara June Winch 's novel "Swallow the Air" as the protagonist discoveries are seen through her connection with the people and her identity. Similarly, the same can be said for James Cameron 's film "Avatar" as Jake the protagonist discoveries is 'visualised through his connection with the land and how this affects his identity. In both of these texts, we can identify how both Tara June Winch and James Cameron interprets the concept of self-discovery in their text.
In the culture we live in today, we are bombarded with ideas and images of “what we should be”. We are expected and obligated to modify ourselves in order to live up to social expectations and to feel accepted by others. It is the fear of being an outcast that pressures us to mask our true identity. Therefore, in an American culture, one can form an identity and still remain true and authentic to oneself through nonconformity and self-reliance. Jon Krakauer’s novel Into the Wild portrays Chris McCandless’s journey of discovering his true identity through the idea of nonconformity.
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ―Maya Angelou. Jon Krakauer’s true story titled Into the Wild is about a man who decides to throw away his old life and escape the rules of conventional society. Twenty-two-year-old Chris McCandless came from a well-to-do family in Virginia and, without warning, abandons everything. He changes his name, loses contact with his family, gives away his car and all his money, and begins a two-year long journey hitchhiking to Alaska where he eventually dies of starvation.